Wounded, Hero Cop Nabs Two Fleeing Bank Robbers
BY LIZ GOFF AND LINDA WILSON

Officer John Lopez. Photo courtesy DCPI

Queens cop John Lopez said he’s not a hero, just a family man. Lopez fought back against two career criminals who threatened his family on December 30 when he singlehandedly nabbed the pair, who had just robbed a nearby bank.

Lopez, 37, of Ozone Park was off duty shortly after noon on Saturday, when he drove his wife, mother-in-law and 4-monthold son to Queens Boulevard to buy the cop a birthday cake, police said.

Lopez was stopped at a light outside an HSBC Bank branch at 87-03 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst when two masked thugs approached with guns drawn and tried to carjack the vehicle, police said.

The two armed men ran to the car and started banging on the windows, demanding that Lopez hand over the vehicle, police said.

Lopez shouted, “Police!” and the pair bolted down the street with the cop in chase, police said.

That’s when Joseph Pennington, 43, turned and fired several rounds at Lopez from a silver, 380-caliber handgun, striking the cop in the leg, police said.

Lopez pulled his off-duty weapon and fired twice, striking Pennington in the stomach and leg. The second suspect, Dion Mines, 35, crawled under a parked car, where he remained until police from the 110th Precinct arrived.

Photo Tony Barsamian A robbery of the HSBC Bank branch at 87-03 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst on Saturday, December 30 was thwarted when the two career criminals who had robbed the bank tried to hijack a car driven by New York City Police Officer John Lopez. Lopez was shot by one robber but returned fire and helped capture the suspect. Police also arrested the other robber.

The cops arrested Pennington and Mines, who were charged with grand larceny, assault, weapons possession and attempted carjacking, authorities said. Police recovered the .380 handgun from Pennington at the time of his arrest, along with two bags of cash containing $15,000–loot the pair had just swiped from the bank.

Police sources said that at about 12:23 p.m. a female bank employee called 911 to report that two men armed with guns were robbing the bank. Pennington and Mines had entered the bank moments earlier and attempted to corral bank employees and customers at gun point in front of one of the teller stations. As they had in two previous bank robberies this month, they carried a blue bag and ordered tellers to empty the cash drawers into it. The bank employees complied and the two gunmen made their escape onto 55th Avenue. There, the suspects tried to hijack a car driven by a woman, who drove away.

Pennington and Mines continued to cross 55th Avenue to the car occupied by Lopez and his family. Mines attempted to open the passenger door where Mrs. Lopez was seated. Pennington knocked on the driver’s window with a gun and told Lopez to get out. Lopez yelled “police” , opened his door and began to chase the two north on 55th Avenue.

Pennington turned and fired at Lopez, the officer returned fire and the pursuit continued north on 55th Avenue. Pennington and Lopez exchanged gunfire a second time. Lopez was struck in the upper left thigh and Pennington was hit in the abdomen and leg. Pennington fell and dropped his gun, a .380 caliber pistol. From a sitting position on the ground, Pennington reached for his gun one more time, but fell backwards to the pavement Lopez moved in and held him until uniformed officers arrived moments later.

The gun and a bag of money were recovered at Pennington's side.

Mines was captured hiding under a car in the parking lot behind a nearby diner. A second bag of money was recovered there as well.

Lopez was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where doctors said the bullet had just missed a major artery. He was listed in stable condition. Lopez was released from the hospital on Sunday. He was welcomed home by family members, and neighbors who said they wanted to show their appreciation for his actions.

“He’s a hero. There’s no doubt about it,” Mark Cutrillo a neighbor, said. “He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t think about himself when someone else is in trouble.”

“Officer Lopez could have no way of knowing how dangerous the individuals he encountered this afternoon were,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a press conference held later on December 30. “Pennington had been arrested 16 times before, on charges that included 20 felonies, including six for criminal possession of a weapon. His accomplice, Dion Mines, had just served 15 years for manslaughter. He was released from prison earlier this year.”

Pennington and Mines are suspects in the robberies of Citibank and North Fork branch banks nearby on Queens Boulevard. In both those instances, two armed males fitting their description ordered tellers to empty their cash drawers into a blue bag. They also wore masks and gloves.